Process of degreasing leather.



UNITED STATES PATENTV OFFICE.

WILLIAM WALLACE ADAMS, JR., OE PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR ToPENNSYLVANIA PROCESS COMPANY, OE CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OFNEW JERSEY.

PROCESS OF DEGREASING LEATHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 685,552, dated October29, 1901.

Application filed February 28,1901; Serial No. 49,351. (No specimens.)

To @ZZ whom. t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM WALLACE ADAMS, J r., a citizen of the UnitedStates, re-

siding at the city of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Degreasing Leather,of which the following is a full,

clear, and exact description, reference being some parts contain or takeup more naturaly and applied grease than other parts ofthe same skin.Hence it has been found difficult to thoroughly, evenly, and completelydegrease it by any of the usually-employed methods or means.

In all or at least the principal processes and machines for degreasingleather and like stock heretofore employed the principle involved is thequiescent or still subjection of the skins to be treated, usually bysuspending them in a liXed position, to the action of a volume of liquidgrease solvent discharged against them or simply by immersing them inthe solvent. In my view that principle is defective, the quickest andmost effective resuits being attained by agitating the stock itself andbringing it forcibly against a volume of the liquid. In my improvedprocess or method of extracting the grease and drying the skins theessential and distinguishing steps are threefold-first, to hold theskins fiat and distended by means of suitable devices, each being soheld separately; next, to so present them in rapid motion by suitablemechanical means against a body of greaseextracting liquid, such asnaphtha, contained in a suitable vessel in order that the solvent willsimultaneously reach every part of the skin and remove the greasecompletely, evenly, and rapidly, a difticultly attainable result, as theSkin of leather varies in thickness and density in its several parts,some parts containing and absorbing more natural and applied grease thanother parts, and, lastly, to quickly and thoroughly dry the degreasedskin in a manner which will not injure or in any way change the density,pliability, or leather character of the tanned skin by volatilizing thenaphtha or other grease solvent held in the skin by absorption andevaporating other moisture therein by supporting the skins, stilldistended, in a suitable chamber to which radiated heat of a temperatureof less than, say, 200O Fahrenheit is admitted, or by means of arapidly-moving Y current of air directed against the skins in thechamber. I have devised special means or apparatus best adaptedL forcarrying out In the drawings, A represents the supporting-fram e, of anydesired form and dimension, upon which is mounted the closed chamber B,adapted to contain the grease solvent. Journaled Within suitablebearings a is a suitable shaft b, preferably one at each end of theapparatus, and each provided with holding means b for a suitable frameD, having devices, such as hooks CZ, by which the skins may be held in adistended condition. The shaft b is driven from any suitable source ofpower through the gear b2, by which the frame D is given the necessaryrotary movement for the proper treatment of the skins. The chamber B ispreferably closed by a detachable cover E, having the downturned edgese, projecting into a suitable sealing device, as the flange F, in whichis contained liquid f. In said apparatus or in some other operating onthe same principle theskins of leather are to be held in a flat anddistended position in a suitable frame and said frame supported byporting them separately in a ilat and distendand in a suitablemechanical means adapted lo be rotated within a closed chambercontaining the liquid grease solvent, so that the skins may beseparately given a rapid motion against the still body ofgrease-extracting liquid, and thus completely, evenly, and rapidly bedegreased; but the mechanical construction of such means may be ot' anycharacter desired. The effect will be produced more quickly if thesupporting-frame in which the skins are held distended is rotated at avertical incline,4so that in its rotation it is intermittent, partlyWithin and partly without the body of liquid solvent. In the samechamber after removing the liquid solvent or in a separate chamber theski ns are dried by evaporating the liquid naphtha and moisture whichthey have absorbed in the process of degreasing, and this evaporationmay be effected by subjecting them to a current of rapidly-moving air orby radiated heat from any suitable means.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecu re by Letters Patent, is-

1. The process of extracting grease from tanned skins or leather, whichconsists in suped position, by suitable devices, and giving them rapidmotion, while so held,l in a body of liquid grease solvent, such asnaphtha, in a suitable containing vessel, and then volatilizing themoisture and solvent held in the skin by absorption, by any suitabledrying means; substantially as described.

2. The process herein described of degreasing tanned skins and otherlike stock which consists in supporting the skin fiat and distended in asuitable frame held at an incline, and in that condition and at thatangle rotating it partly within and partly against a volume of liquidnaphtha or other grease solvent.

The process herein described of degreasing tanned skins and leather,Which consists in agitating the same in a flat and distended conditionin direct Contact with a body of still liquid grease solvent, such asnaphtha, then removing the skin from the body of liqnid and linallydrying out of the skin the absorbed solvent and moisture, byvaporization.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature this 21st dayof February, A. VD. 1901.

WILLIAM WALLACE ADA MS, Jn.

NVitnesses: l

E. T. MURRAY, HERBERT K. ADAMS.

